This is a pre arrival offering with a firm cutoff date. Timing is an estimate and can shift due to carrier schedules, port congestion, customs, or warehouse receiving.
Finn Thomson Whisky Balblair 2014, 12 Year Old, PX Sherry Finish
A single cask of Balblair, distilled in 2014 on the Dornoch Firth and finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry, bottled by Finn Thomson at 54.3% cask strength, natural colour, non-chill filtered. One of three casks in Finn's last bottling run of 2026, which he described to us as absolute crackers.
Balblair is clean, bright, citrusy Highland malt, the kind that shows every cask it meets, and PX is the sweetest sherry in Jerez. The finish lays raisin, fig and dark sugar over the distillery's green apple and lemon rather than burying it. 144 bottles worldwide, 24 of them for the United States.
About Finn Thomson Whisky
Finn Thomson is the ninth generation of Scotland's oldest whisky family. The Thomson name traces back to the 1770s through Perthshire, where Peter Thomson Ltd built the beloved Beneagles blend using casks from Longmorn, Clynelish, North British and other lesser-known workhorses.
Finn Thomson Whisky continues that tradition as an independent single cask bottler. Every release is hand-selected, bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered, with natural colour. Eye on the past. Vision for the future. This cask was bottled at Young Spirits in Edinburgh and is imported exclusively by The Whiskey Lab.
Distillery profile, Balblair
- Founded in 1790 at Edderton, on the Dornoch Firth north of Inverness, one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland.
- Owned by Inver House (International Beverage), which bottles it by vintage rather than age, a habit this release shares.
- House character is light, fruity and citrus-led: green apple, lemon, a little honey, with a clean spirit that takes finishing wood well.
- Independent single casks of Balblair are uncommon; sherry-finished ones at full strength rarer still.
Cask profile, PX finish
Pedro Ximenez is the dessert wine of Jerez, pressed from sun-dried grapes, and casks seasoned with it carry raisin, fig, treacle and spice.
On a light, bright spirit like Balblair, a PX finish is a seasoning rather than a takeover: the citrus stays, and the sherry sits on top as dried fruit and sweetness. At 54.3% it has the strength to carry both.
Finn's words on this run: absolute crackers, last bottling run of the year. Cask No. 1772, distilled 5 April 2014, bottled 26 August 2026, 144 bottles.
The story of this cask, in Finn Thomson's words
For our first ever Balblair release, we wanted to find a whisky that captured the character of this quietly remarkable Highland distillery. Established in 1790, Balblair stands on a remote hillside overlooking the Dornoch Firth, where a solitary Pictish standing stone, the Clach Biorach, has watched over the landscape for thousands of years.
The distillery's story is one of resilience. From its early days under the Ross family, through periods of closure, changing ownership and the shifting fortunes of the Scotch whisky industry, Balblair has endured. Its revival in the post-war years, subsequent expansion and eventual return to prominence reflect whisky's own journey through boom, bust and renewed appreciation.
What makes Balblair particularly intriguing is its unhurried approach. Long fermentation, slow distillation and a commitment to traditional methods create a spirit celebrated for its fruity, elegant character. This 12 year old whisky offers that distinctive Highland freshness, complemented by a finishing period in a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask. The result is a meeting of bright, delicate spirit and the rich sweetness of PX wood, bringing layers of dried fruit, luscious sweetness and warming spice.
Balblair is not a distillery encountered at every turn. Independent bottlings are relatively uncommon, making this a special opportunity to discover a less frequently seen side of a classic Highland malt. For our first Balblair, we are delighted to share a cask that celebrates both the distillery's enduring spirit and the craft of whisky maturation.
On Tasting Notes
You will not find tasting notes here. By design.
The Whiskey Lab publishes every technical detail a curious drinker could ask for: distillery, cask, distillation date, ABV, outturn. Everything that makes the liquid what it is. What we leave to you is the experience of drinking it.
Tasting notes shape expectation. They tell you what you should find before you find it. Our position is that the spirit in your glass should speak for itself, and what you find there belongs to you. Pour it neat. Add a few drops of water if it asks for it. Take your time. The cask did.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Finn Thomson Whisky, Private Cask Collection |
| Style | Single malt Scotch whisky, single cask |
| Region | Highland |
| Distillery | Balblair, Edderton |
| Age | 12 years |
| ABV | 54.3% (cask strength) |
| Volume | 700ml |
| Cask | Pedro Ximenez sherry finish |
| Cask number | 1772 |
| Outturn | 144 bottles |
| Distilled | 5 April 2014 |
| Bottled | 26 August 2026, Young Spirits Co, Edinburgh |
| Natural colour | Yes |
| Non-chill filtered | Yes |
| Availability | Pre-order, October Import, arrives November 4, 2026 |
The Whiskey Lab's Quality Commitments
- Single Cask & Small Batch: Ensuring a unique profile for each release.
- Natural Colour & Non-Chill Filtered: Preserving the authentic character and purity of the whisky.
- Honest Storytelling: Every cask profile written by people who actually handled the liquid.
